Kingston offers Flash drives designed for and certified by Microsoft® for use with Windows® To Go.
A feature of Windows 8 Enterprise, Windows to Go lets IT administrators provide mobile and contingency workers with secure access to the corporate environment.

Kingston Card Readers quickly transfer all your data – photos, videos, music etc.– so you can wait less and do more. They support a wide variety of formats, including microSD, microSDHC, SD, SDHC, SDXC and CompactFlash.

What do the blue and red LEDs represent?

My DataTraveler no longer works or I can no longer view files saved to the DataTraveler. Can the files on the DataTraveler be recovered?

If you have data on the DataTraveler that is important to you, we strongly recommend that you use one of the two possible means of data recovery (see below).
Kingston does not offer data recovery services. For more information on our warranty policy, please visit http://www.kingston.com/company/warranty.asp

Contact a company that specialises in data recovery services, such as Driver Savers at www.drivesavers.com or Ontrack at www.ontrack.com or carry out a Google search for "data recovery".

Go to www.download.com, search for "data recovery" and download one of the many utilities for data recovery which are fairly simple to use. We suggest trying one of the free versions as they work just as well as the paid versions.
However for this option to work, the computer must assign a drive letter to the device.
Even so it is not guaranteed to work.
If it does not, option 1 would be your best bet.

My DataTraveler is not being detected in Windows. Why?

1. The DataTraveler could be conflicting with a pre-assigned drive letter. To resolve, do the following (Do not do this for a "Privacy" drive that assigns two drive letters):

1. Insert the DataTraveler and open "Control Panel". Then open "Administrative Tools".
2. Open Computer Management
3. Select “Disk Management” on the left window pane.
4. Locate the DataTraveler on the right window pane.
5. Right-click on the drive and select “Change Drive Letter and Paths.”
6. Click Change and select a new drive letter from the drop-down box. Then click OK.

2. The DataTraveler may be conflicting with pre-installed software. Disable all applications running in the background prior to installation of the Data Traveler.

3. Make sure Windows, any USB controller drivers and the system BIOS for you computer is up to date.

4. If you have a desktop computer, make sure the DataTraveler is inserted directly into one of the main USB ports on the back of the PC. Front ports, keyboard ports or USB Hubs may not supply sufficient power for the High Speed DataTraveler to function properly.

5. Check for a possible conflict is another USB device such as a printer or USB card reader. Unplug the other USB device, insert the DataTraveler drive and restart the system. After the DataTraveler is configured you should then be able to connect the other USB device.

My DataTraveler is 64GB or larger. I formatted it using NTFS and I want to format it back to FAT32. How do I do this?

Because the DataTraveler is 32GB or larger, Windows 7 will not allow you to format it to FAT32.
You will have to convert it using a Command Prompt.
Click on Start>Run and type in CMD and click on the OK button.
Type the following in the command prompt (see image).
Replace F with the drive letter for your drive.
Please take notice of the spaces in between.

How do I remove the TravelerSafe password?

WARNING:
Removing the password will require formatting the drive.
Formatting will erase the DataTraveler and all data stored on the drive will be lost.
Always back up all data to a permanent storage medium!

Insert the DataTraveler into the USB port.

Double-click on security application icon via the DataTraveler drive.

Click OK.

Select "Settings."

Click Format.

Select 100% public partition using the slide bar.

Click OK to reformat the drive and delete the password-protected partition.

The Kingston driver loads properly but the drive does not show up in My Computer. If you look at Device Manager, Disk Drives, Kingston Properties, under the Settings tab, there is no drive letter listed in the appropriate field. Another USB device, such as a printer, works fine so we know that the port is enabled. How do I resolve this?

Unplug the other USB device, insert the DataTraveler drive and restart the system.
After the DataTraveler is configured you should then be able to connect the other USB device.

After creating a privacy zone, the full capacity of my DataTraveler is not seen in Properties. Why?

When a privacy zone is created, the total available data storage is broken up into a privacy partition and a public partition.
The capacity shown in Properties will reflect the capacity of the partition that you are currently logged into.
To see the capacity of the privacy partition, log into the privacy zone.
To view the capacity of the public partition, log out of the privacy zone.
Refer to the security software's user manual for more details.

I accidentally deleted TravelerSafe+ from my KUSBDTE. How can I access data in my Privacy Zone?

When I insert the DataTraveler into the USB port on my keyboard, USB hub or in the front of my tower, the unit is either not recognised or I receive an error message. Why?

If you have a desktop computer, make sure the DataTraveler is inserted directly into one of the main USB ports.
These USB ports are usually located in the back of the tower.
If these ports are difficult to access, we recommend a 3ft USB extension cable.

My DataTraveler will not accept a 4GB or larger file. Why?

To transfer files larger than 4GB, the DataTraveler must have a NTFS or exFAT file system.
Unfortunately, the FAT32 file system is not capable of handling a single file larger than 4GB (to be exact, one byte less than 4GB).
Follow the steps below to format the DataTraveler with an NTFS File system:

Warning, all data on the DataTraveler will be lost!
Please back up the data on the DataTraveler before proceeding.

Locate My Computer (Computer in Vista and 7). Right-click on the Kingston drive and select Format.

Select NTFS or exFAT from the file system drop-down list.

Select Quick Format as the Format option and click Start.
Note: If NTFS is not an available option, close the Format window and follow steps 4-9.

My USB drive works fine under Windows 7, but when I insert it into a different operating system, e.g., Windows XP, it prompts me to reformat the drive. Why?

You may have formatted the drive with an exFAT file system while using Windows 7. In order to resolve this, reformat the drive with the FAT32 or NTFS file system.
You may also be able to update your operating system to be compatible with exFAT.
However, be aware that some devices (MP3 players, digital photo frames, etc) will not read the exFAT file system.

The full capacity of my DataTraveler or Flash media is not available for storage. Why?

Some of the flash storage device’s listed capacity is used for formatting and other functions and is not available for data storage. Therefore, you will not see the full capacity.

When a flash storage device is manufactured, steps are taken to ensure that the device operates reliably and permits the host device (computer, digital camera, PDA, etc.) to access the memory cells; i.e., to store and retrieve data on the flash storage device.
These steps, loosely called "formatting", use some of the memory cells within the device and thus reduce the capacity available for data storage by the end user.

Formatting includes the following operations:

Testing each memory cell in the flash storage device.

Identifying all defective cells and taking steps to ensure that no data will be written to or read from a defective cell.

Reserving some cells to serve as "spares." Flash memory cells have a long but finite lifetime.
Therefore, some cells are held in reserve to replace any memory cells that may fail over time.

Creating a File Allocation Table (FAT) or other directory. To enable flash storage devices to store and access customer files conveniently, a file management system must be created to allow any device or computer to identify the files stored in the flash storage device.
The most common type of file management system for flash storage devices is the File Allocation Table (FAT), which is also used on hard drives.

Reserving some cells for use by the flash storage device’s controller, e.g., for storing firmware updates and other controller-specific information.

Where applicable, reserving some cells for special features. For example, the specification for Secure Digital (SD) cards requires reserved areas to support special copy protection and security features.

My DataTraveler is not recognised by Mac OS X. How do I resolve this?

To resolve this, make sure to insert the drive directly into the USB ports located on the computer.
The USB ports found on the keyboard and some hubs may not supply sufficient power to operate the Kingston DataTraveler properly.
Also, go to Finder>Preferences>Sidebar and ensure that CD, DVD and iPod and External Disks are selected.

The computer has mapped network drives. Windows says the drive is installed correctly but no drive letter is assigned to it. Why?

Windows assigns new drives to the next available physical drive.
It will sometimes take the same drive letter as a network drive for this reason.
This is a common problem with removable storage devices.

To resolve this go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management.
Note the drives on the right window pane.
See if the Kingston (x) is recognised.
(x) denotes the drive letter that Windows assigned to the Data Traveler.

If the DataTraveler is using the same drive letter as one of the other drives, right-click the Kingston Drive letter and click on "Change Drive Letter and Paths".

In the next dialog box, click on the "Change" button and assign a drive letter that is not currently being used.

Note:
Do not manually change drive letters if you have a "Privacy" DataTraveler that assigns two drive letters for the device.

While trying to transfer a file to or from the Data Traveler, the MacOS 10 displays an error stating that the file cannot be modified or moved. Why?

This happens if the DataTraveler has been formatted with Microsoft Windows NTFS. To resolve, format the DataTraveler with Mac OS X using MS-DOS File System.

To format the DataTraveler with Mac OS 10.3.X, do the following:

Click on the "GO" option on the menu bar.

Double-click on "Utilities" (If you do not see Utilities, double-click on Applications and then double-click on the Utilities folder.)

Double-click on the "Disk Utility" icon.

On the Disk Utility Dialog box, click once on the Kingston DataTraveler active partition.
Note: There will be two listings for the Data Traveler, the first one is the active partition and the second is the volume label.

Click the erase tab located on the right side of the screen.

Using the Volume Format drop-down, select "MS-DOS File System" from the list.

Click Erase.

Be aware MacOS 10.6.5 will support full read and write access to exFAT formatted drives. So formatting the drive using exFAT file system may also resolve this problem. MacOS still has read only access to NTFS formatted drives.

This is most likely a result of using the GUID partition table, which is the default partition table for Intel-based Macs.
The GUID partition table is only supported in Windows Vista.
Windows 7 and Windows XP do not support this file system.
To resolve, you must erase the drive via Mac OS X with the appropriate options selected.
Follow the steps below to erase your drive properly with Mac OS X.

Access Disk Utility

Highlight the disk and select the "Partition" tab

Set the volume scheme to "1 Partition"

Change the format to "MS-DOS (FAT)"

Click the "Options" button near the bottom of the screen and select the “Master Boot Record” partition table.

Click "Apply" to save the changes and reformat the drive

After the format is complete, verify that the disk is now using MBR by looking at the "Partition Map Scheme" in the lower right corner of the Disk Utility window.
It should now display "Master Boot Record".

My DataTraveler is not full, but when I try to transfer data to the drive I receive an error message stating, "The directory or file cannot be created". Why?

This is a limitation of the file system.
In order to transfer more data to this unit, you will need to remove the current data on the drive and create folders on the drive to copy files to.
Once this is done, you should be able to transfer more data to the DataTraveler.

When I try to format a drive that is larger than 32GB in Windows XP or Vista, I am unable to select a file system. No file system options are displayed. How do I resolve this?

Follow the steps below to format the DataTraveler with an NTFS File system using a Windows PC.

Note: Admin rights are required.

Remove all other external flash devices from your computer.

Right-click My Computer (Computer in Vista) and select Properties.
Note: If User Account Control is enabled in Windows Vista, an alert will display. Click Continue to proceed.

From the right side window, double-click Storage and then double-click Disk Management.

From the right side window, right-click the Kingston (Removable) drive and select Format.
Note: You may receive a warning:
"This is the active partition on this disk.
All data on the partition will be lost.
Are you sure you want to format this partition?"
Click Yes to proceed.

In the Format window, select the “NTFS” file system and select the box next to “Perform a quick format”. Click OK.

Click OK on the Format Warning window.

The Kingston (Removable) drive window will display "Formatting" while the drive is being formatted.
Once the format is complete, the status will revert to "Healthy".

After inserting the DataTraveler into the USB port of a computer running Windows Vista or Windows 7, an AutoPlay dialog appears with an option to &quot;Speed up my system using Windows ReadyBoost&quot;. What is this feature and can I enable it?

ReadyBoost is a Windows Vista and Windows 7 feature which has the ability to use USB flash drive storage space to improve system performance.
The DataTraveler does not support Windows ReadyBoost.

While trying to copy files from Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.2 to the USB Flash drive, I receive an "Error code-36" message. What could be the problem?

This is a problem related to copying directories (created with Finder) from and then back to a USB storage device configured with an MS-DOS/FAT file system.
Until Apple releases an update addressing this issue, the following is a safe solution.

Launch Terminal via Applications > Utilities and type the following command, making sure to include a space at the end:

dot_clean

Select the folder generating “Error code-36". Drag and drop the folder directly into the Terminal window.

The path to the folder in question should appear at the end of the Terminal command. For example, it may look like:

dot_clean /Users/UserName/Desktop/Test_Folder

Press Enter/Return to run the command. It may appear as if nothing has happened. However, you should now be able to transfer the folder to the USB storage device without experiencing an error.

Are Kingston DataTravelers compatible with Windows ME?

My DataTraveler will not install on Windows Vista. Why?

There are several possible reasons why your DataTraveler is not installing on Windows Vista.

If the “Add New Hardware” wizard is searching for a device driver, point it to Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository and enable “Include subfolders” in the Browse window. If this fails, point to one of the subfolders within FileRepository:

If the hotfix does not work, the usbstor.inf and usbstor.pnf files may be missing or corrupted.

Insert the DataTraveler, if you receive a “Found New Hardware” dialog box, click Cancel and unplug the DataTraveler.

Go to (C:)>;Windows&gt;inf to confirm that the usbstor.inf and usbstor.pnf files are present. If missing, they may have been corrupt or deleted during Vista installation/ upgrade and therefore will not load.
If the usbstor.inf and usbstor.pnf files are missing, do the following:

Locate the latest usbstor.inf and usbstor.pnf files from Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\usbstor.inf

Note:
There may be multiple usbstor.inf and usbstor.pnf files.
Choose the most recently created file.
To do this, sort the files by date.

Copy the usbstor.inf and usbstor.pnf files to Windows>inf.

Reinsert the DataTraveler.

If the above instructions did not work, and/or the usbstor.inf and usbstor.pnf exist in Windows\Inf,
remove the drive, reinsert it and wait for the Found New Hardware dialog box.
Select "Locate and install driver software (recommended)".
Click on the Continue button for permission.
Select "Don't search online".
Select "I don't have disc, show me other instructions".
Select "My computer for driver software (advanced)".
Browse the following locations to search for a driver (enable "Include subfolders" in the Browse window):

After installing the DataTraveler, two drive letters are seen. This occurs on Win98SE. How do I resolve this?

I plugged my new Kingston Traveler into my USB port and the computer shows the removable medium drive as Drive D:. My CD-ROM can no longer be accessed. In addition, the device manager displays the primary and secondary IDE controller with an exclamation mark next to them. How do I resolve this?

In order to resolve this, you will need to edit the Registry.
If you are not careful you could cause serious damage to the computer.
Click on your Start button and then go to Run.
Type in the word, "regedit", and click OK.
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\IOS and find the word "noide" in the right pane.
Delete this entry, save the changes and then reboot the system.

When using the DataTraveler with a boot utility or some other third party software, the capacity of the drive is now much smaller then it was originally. How do I restore the capacity of the drive?

This usually is caused by a program that re-partitions the drive to a smaller capacity it can use.
The native Windows format utility is usually not able to restore the capacity.
We suggest you search online for a third party format utility.

When I try to run the software that came with the drive, I receive an error stating "this drive is unauthorized to run this software". How do I resolve this?

Too many entries for mounted devices in your registry can cause this problem. Once all the entries are cleared, the software should work again. To do this, go to Start and type regedit in the search field. Make sure to back up your registry before making any changes. Here are instructions for backing up your registry.

In the directory list on the left side, find the entry HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices. Remove all entries except for default (it won't let you remove default anyway).